Carton

ABSTRACT

A package of beverage cans or similar articles wherein the articles are enclosed in multiple row arrangement in a tubular container which forms a carrier and which is fabricated from a blank of foldable sheet material, the blank being cut and scored to provide top, bottom and side walls with pairs of closure forming flaps at the opposite ends of the side walls which closure flaps are adapted to be hinged into end wall closing position and retained in such position by interlocking tongue and slot arrangements in overlapping margins thereof and provision being made for a tear out opening at the bottom of one end wall for dispensing the cans one at a time.

United States Patent Arneson et a1.

3,540,581 11/1970 Koolnis 229/17 B X Primary Examiner-George F. Mautz Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Guy A. Greenawalt [57] ABSTRACT A package of beverage cans or similar articles wherein the articles are enclosed in multiple row arrangement in a tubular container which forms a carrier and which is fabricated from a blank of foldable sheet material, the blank being cut and scored to provide top, bottom and side walls with pairs of closure forming flaps at the opposite ends of the side walls which closure flaps are adapted to be hinged into end wall closing position and retained in such position by interlocking tongue and slot arrangements in overlapping margins thereof and provision being made for a tear out opening at the bottom of one end wall for dispensing the cans one at a time.

8 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures CARTON This invention relates to packaging and is more particularly concerned with improvements in cartons or carriers for enclosing a plurality of articles such as beverage filled cans or the like.

In the packaging of articles, such as canned beer, soft drinks and the like, various types of containers have been employed, generally in the form of carriers, with provision for accepting a predetermined number of the cans, for example, six, eight or twelve, arranged in row formation. One type of packaging container or carrier which has been employed has been in the form of an open ended tube or sleeve with provision for retaining the cans against excessive movement therein or accidental removal through the open ends. in another packaging arrangement tubular packaging containers have been provided which have some means for closing the ends. either wholly or in part, so as to confine the cans and prevent accidental removal from the package. Where end panel closures have been employed, sealing, generally with hot melt adhesives so as to eliminate the long compression sections required with cold adhesives, has generally proven to be too costly in terms of material and the skilled labor required. it is a general object, therefore. to provide a carrier or carton of the sleeve type with end closures, which is of improved construction and which is more economical in use while retaining the advantages of similar carriers heretofore employed.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a package arrangement for articles such as canned beverage products, or the like, wherein a multiple unit package is obtained which comprises a plurality of the articles in row or tier formation and an improved wrapper or carrier sleeve of tubular form with end or side wall closure panels which have locking and latching el ements in overlapped margins adapted to be interengaged so as to hold the closure panels in wall closing and article confining position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pack age arrangement for canned beverages, or similar articles, wherein a tubular carrier for a multiplicity of the cans is formed from a generally rectangular blank which is cut and scored to provide integrally connected top. bottom and side wall members, and end wall clo sure panels or flaps which are hinged to the side walls and folded into end wall closing relation with overlapping margins in which locking and latching elements are provided which hold the flaps in closure forming position and with minimal exposure of flap edges which would be subject to snagging in shipping and handling.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carrier package for canned beverages or the like wherein the packaging container is fabricated from a cut and scored blank of paperboard or other suitable sheet material with top wall forming panels which overlap and which have hand holes or openings cut in overlapping marginal portions wherein the overlap is extended so as to provide reinforcing areas at each side of the handle openings and strengthen the material at the corners of the handle openings where tearing is likely to occur.

A further object of the invention is to provide a carrier package for canned beverages, or similar articles, which are in multiple row or tiered arrangement, wherein the packaging container is formed from a cut and scored blank of foldable sheet material with connecting top, bottom and side walls and hinged closure panels for closing the ends which are connected by cooperating latch and lock elements in overlapping margins and wherein there is provided a tear out arrangement for releasing successive articles through a roll out discharge opening adjacent the bottom of the package.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved article carrier construction of the type wherein a plurality of cans or similar articles are enclosed in a wraparound blank having hingedly connected bottom, side and top wall panels, with the top wall formed by a pair of panels which are overlapped and provided with hand holes arranged therein so as to be reinforced at the points of greatest stress when the package is grasped and carried thereby to minimize tearing at such points.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the package of canned beverages and the method of forming the same which is shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG, 1 is a perspective view of a package comprising twelve cans in 4 X 3 row or tiered arrangement and en closed in a wrapper or carton which embodies the principal features of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the package shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view showing one end of the package of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view illustrating a can dispensing feature which is embodied in the package;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a blank of foldable sheet material which is cut and scored to form the carrier type carton for the package shown in FlG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the completed carton or carrier in flat folded or collapsed condition; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the carton in set up or opened up condition, with the closure flaps at one end open for end loading of an assembly of cans therein.

The package unit 10 which is illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4 comprises a plurality of beverage cans C arranged in three rows of four cans each and enclosed in a tubular wrapper sleeve, carton or carrier 12 which is formed from a cut and scored blank of paperboard or similar foldable sheet material and which has opposite ends or sides closed by pairs of hinged panels, with each pair of the closure panels having overlapped marginal portions connected by interengaging locking and latching elements of a character which hold the panels securely with minimal exposure of loose flap edges which are subject to snagging in handling and shipping.

The package 10 and the method of fabricating the same will be best understood by reference first to FIG. 5 wherein there is illustrated a wrapper blank W which is cut and scored for fabricating the package of FIGS. 1 to 4. The blank W is preferably formed of paperboard of suitable weight or gauge which may be cut in multiples from a wide web with maximum economy. The blank W is divided by parallel, longitudinally spaced, transverse score lines l6, 18, 20 and 22 into a series of connected blank sections or panels 24, 26, 28, 30 and 32. The center panel 28 between transverse score lines 18 and 20 constitutes a bottom wall panel in the final package, while the adjoining blank sections or panels 26 and 30 which extend between the transverse score lines l6, l8 and 20, 22, respectively, are scored on laterally spaced, parallel, longitudinally extending lines 34, 34' and 36, 36' so as to provide side wall forming 3 panels 38, 40 and associated end wall forming panels 42, 42' and 44, 44'. The two blank end sections or end panels 24 and 32 co-operate in forming the top wall structure of the package.

The two top wall forming panels 24 and 32 each have a dimension in the lengthwise direction of the blank which is greater than the corresponding dimension of the bottom wall forming panel 28. The panels 24 and 32 have overlapping portions in the set up form of the carton or carrier (FlG. 2) and each of these panels is provided with a pair of hand hole or finger hole forming apertures 46, 48 and 50, 52, respectively. The endmost apertures 46 and 50 are provided by cutting on a generally U-shaped line inwardly of the end edges 54 and 56 of the blank. These apertures and also apertures 48 and 52 extend laterally of the blank in a symmetrical manner about the longitudinal center line aa. In panel 32 narrow flaps 58, 58' are provided along the adjacent edges of the apertures 50, 52 with score lines 60, 60' on which they can fold when the carrier is grasped for carrying. The apertures 48 and 52 are spaced the same distance relative to the apertures 46 and 50 and when the panels 24 and 32 are overlapped in forming the car rier the hand hole apertures 46, 50 and 48, 52 are brought into alignment. The panel 32 forms the innermost panel in the set up top wall structure and small flaps 58, 58 are adapted to fold on the score lines 60, 60' so as to reinforce the area 62 (FIG. 2) between the two handle openings and protect the fingers of the user against the cutting action of a raw edge.

The two side and end wall forming blank sections 26 and 30 which are divided by the score lines 34, 34' and 36, 36' to provide the side wall forming panels 38, 40 and the associated end wall forming panels 42, 42' and 44, 44' are symmetrical about the longitudinal center line a-a, except for a dispensing feature which is hereinafter described, and the parallel, longitudinal score lines 34, 34' and 36, 36 are equally spaced from the longitudinal center line a--a. The end wall forming panels 42 and 42' are cut and scored in an identical manner except for the dispensing feature referred to and likewise the end wall forming panel extensions 44 and 44' are cut in the same manner except for the dispensing feature. End wall forming panels 42 and 42 each have a lock and latch panel 64, 64 in the free margin which is separated from the remainder of the associated panel along the score line 66, 66'. Each locking panel 64, 64' has a pair of latch forming tabs or tongues 68, 68' cut in the outer margin which extend from the free marginal edge 70, 70' while a pair of cooperating locking tabs 72, 72' are cut in the panel material along the hinge lines 66, 66' and in oppositely disposed relation with the respective latching tongues 68, 68'. The end wall forming panels 44 and 44' are provided in their outer marginal portions with pairs of apertures 74, 74' which are properly spaced and of the proper size to receive in locking and latching relation the locking and latching elements 72, 72 and 68, 68' provided on the hinged panels 64, 64'. The locking and latching panels 64, 64' and associated elements may be of the same character as the locking and latching arrangement which is described for the bottom wall pan els in US. Pat. No. 3,168,194, dated Feb. 2, 1965 and in US. Pat. Nov 3,589,593, dated June 29, l97l.

Side wall panels 38 and 40 and the associated end wall panels 42 and 44 at one side of the blank W are provided with an article dispensing feature which takes the form of tear out areas 76, 76 in the panels 38 and 40 and areas 78, 78' in the end wall forming panels 42 and 44, respectively. The panels or tear out areas 76 and 76' are provided by the cutting in the longitudinally spaced corners of the panels 38 and 40 on the inwardly curved or bowed cutting lines or tear lines 80, 80', each of which comprises a series of spaced J- shaped cuts for weakening the material so that it may be readily torn along the lines 80, 80'. The tear out areas 78, 78' which are on the opposite sides of the hinge forming score lines 34 and 36 are provided by diagonally, inwardly extending tear lines 82 and 82'. In addition, the panels 42 and 44 are each scored on the curved lines 84 and 84', the former extending to the score line 66 of the locking panel and the latter terminating short of the free side edge of the wall forming panel 44. The score lines 84 and 84' extend from the intersection of the tear lines 80, 80' with the tear lines 82, 82.

As shown in FIG. 5, the blanks W are cut so as to provide for nesting across a wide web, enabling the operator to obtain a maximum number of cut and scored blanks from the web material. For maximum nesting panels 24, 28 and 32 have a dimension transversely of the blank which is less than the distance between the score lines 34, 34' and 36, 36' which determine the over-all dimension of the side walls and of the carrier in the lengthwise direction.

in fabricating the carrier or carton, the cut and scored blank W is folded first on the transverse score line 22 and then on score line 18 so as to bring the panel 32 underneath the panel 24 which is provided with a suitable adhesive as indicated at 86. [n overlapping the panels 32 and 24 hand hole apertures 46 and 48 are aligned with apertures 50 and 52 which results in a relatively wide area 62 between the hand holes for grasping the carrier and also in reinforcement of the points 88, 88' and 90, 90' (FIG. 2) where tearing is otherwise most likely to occur. The extension of the margins of the panels 24 and 32 provides the desired reinforcing at these points of stress due to weight in lifting the carrier. The carrier is fabricated in collapsed condition as shown in FIG. 6 and delivered to the user where it is opened up into tubular form, as shown in FIG. 7, for loading through an open side or end. Thereafter, the carrier is loaded and the end panels are closed and locked by folding the panels into closed position and manipulating the locking and latching panels 64, 64' so as to engage the primary latching or locking members 72, 72' and the secondary latching members or tabs 68, 68 in the openings 74, 74' provided in panels 44, 44'. Suitable equipment may be provided for closing and locking the end wall panels such as, for example, equipment employing the arrangement disclosed in Reissue US. Pat. No. 26,750, dated Jan. 6, 1970, for closing and locking bottom wall forming panels having similar locking and latching elements.

The cans may be dispensed by gravity rollout through an opening provided by tearing out the side and end wall areas 76, 76' and 78, 78' as shown in FIG. 4. The scores 84, 84 in the end wall panels stiffen the flap 92 which results from tearing out the areas 76, 76' and 78, 78'.

We claim:

1. A package of articles having the general form of beverage cans which comprises a plurality of the articles assembled in multiple row, side-byside arrangement and enclosed in a tubular carton formed from a blank of foldable sheet material which is cut and scored so as to provide a bottom wall forming panel, oppositely disposed side wall forming panels hinged to the side edges of the bottom wall panel and lying along the top and bottom faces of the articles and a pair of cooperating top wall forming panels hinged to the top edges of the side wall forming panels which are connected in overlapping relation, said side wall forming panels having hingedly connected end wall closure panels at each end which are swung to end wall forming position, the closure panels at each end having overlapping marginal portions with a hinged locking and latching panel which includes locking tongue elements paired with latching tab elements in one of said marginal portions and co-operating locking apertures in the marginal portion of the associated panel which are adapted to receive said locking tongue and latching tab elements so as to hold said panels in end closure position and said side wall and end wall forming panels having tear out portions disposed at the bottom of said end wall panels and adjacent the bottom wall forming panel for providing a roll out dispensing opening in the one end wall with a hinged article retarding flap at the bottom of said end wall which depends across a portion of said opening and normally obstructs the roll out of articles while permitting ready manual removal of succes sive articles.

2. A package as set forth in claim 1 wherein said top wall forming panels have elongate hand hole openings in overlapped portions thereof which openings extend lengthwise of said panels and are aligned and spaced relative to the side marginal edges of said panels so that there is a double thickness of material at the oppositely disposed corners of the openings which reinforces the same against tearing when the package is carried.

3. A package as set forth in claim 1 wherein said side wall panels and associated end wall panels have tear out portions which co-operate to provide a dispensing opening which exposes opposite ends of an article posi tioned at the opening so as to enable the article to be grasped and pulled through the opening.

4. A package as set forth in claim 3 wherein said end wall panels are scored on upwardly bowed lines extending between top portion of the tear out areas at the sides thereof so as to stiffen the article holding flap which results when the tear out areas are removed to provide said dispensing opening 5. A generally rectangular blank of foldable sheet material adapted to form a carrier carton for a plurality of tiered articles having the general form of beverage cans which blank is divided by longitudinally spaced, transverse score lines and transversely spaced, parallel, longitudinal score lines into a series of connected wall forming panels, a middle one of said panels constituting a carton bottom wall forming panel, the two adjoining panels constituting carton side wall forming panels which are adapted to lie along the top and bottom faces of the articles when said articles are enclosed in the carton, and end panels constituting co-operating top wall forming panels, each said side wall forming panel having a pair of panels extending laterally of the blank along opposite sides thereof and separated therefrom by said longitudinal score lines, which laterally extending panels constitute end wall closure forming panels, said middle panel and said blank end panels having a dimension transversely of the blank which is less than the corresponding dimension of the adjoining side wall forming panels so as to leave opposite edges along the sides of the blank set in relative to the corresponding edges of the adjoining side wall forming panels. said blank end panels having a dimension longitudinally of the blank which is substantially greater than one half the corresponding dimension of the middle panel and each said blank end panel having a pair of hand holes cut therein which are spaced apart and also have transversely extending edges which are spaced inwardly of the blank end edges, said hand holes in each end panel being disposed so as to align with the hand holes in the co-operating end panel when these panels are overlapped to form the top wall of the carton, and said laterally extending end wall closure forming panels each having a dimension laterally of the blank which is substantially greater than one half the dimension of said middle panel in the longitudinal direction of the blank, the one panel of each pair of said end wall clusure forming panels having an outer marginal portion cut and scored to provide a locking panel with paired locking tongue elements and latching tab elements and the other panel of each pair of said end wall closure forming panels having an outer marginal portion cut to provide apertures dimensioned for receiving said locking tongue and latching tab elements in locking and latching engagement therein.

6. A generally rectangular blank as set forth in claim 5 wherein said end wall forming panels are spaced along opposite sides of the blank and each said end wall forming panel having a dimension longitudinally of the blank which is less than the corresponding dimension of the side wall forming panel from which it extends so as to enable the blanks to be nested on either side when cut from a wide web.

7. A package of articles having the general form of beverage cans which comprises a plurality of the articles assembled in multiple row, side-by-side arrange ment and enclosed in a tubular carton formed from a single cut and scored blank of foldable sheet material which comprises a bottom wall forming panel, oppositely disposed side wall forming panels integrally hinged to the side edges of the bottom wall panel and lying along the top and bottom faces of the articles and a pair of co-operating top wall forming panels integrally hinged to the top edges of the side wall forming panels which have their margins overlapped and connected together, said side wall forming panels each having hingedly connected end wall closure panels at each end thereof which are swung to end wall forming position, the closure panels at each end having overlapping marginal portions with a hinged locking panel including locking tongue elements and latching tab elements in one of said marginal portions and co-operating locking apertures in the marginal portion of the associated panel which receive said locking tongue and latching tab elements so as to hold said panels in end closure position, and said end wall forming panels terminating short of the adjacent ends of said top and bottom wall forming panels so as to provide openings at the top and bottom corners which expose portions of the articles in the corners of the package.

8. A package as set forth in claim 7 wherein said end wall forming panels at one end of the carton and the adjacent side wall forming panels have tear out portions adjacent the bottom wall forming panel which are of a size to provide a roll out dispensing opening in said one end wall for removing the articles with a hinged flap depending from the bottom of said end wall and over a part of said opening so as to normally retain the articles while permitting ready manual removal thereof. 

1. A package of articles having the general form of beverage cans which comprises a plurality of the articles assembled in multiple row, side-by-side arrangement and enclosed in a tubular carton formed from a blank of foldable sheet material which is cut and scored so as to provide a bottom wall forming panel, oppositely disposed side wall forming panels hinged to the side edges of the bottom wall panel and lying along the top and bottom faces of the articles and a pair of co-operating top wall forming panels hinged to the top edges of the side wall forming panels which are connected in overlapping relation, said side wall forming paNels having hingedly connected end wall closure panels at each end which are swung to end wall forming position, the closure panels at each end having overlapping marginal portions with a hinged locking and latching panel which includes locking tongue elements paired with latching tab elements in one of said marginal portions and co-operating locking apertures in the marginal portion of the associated panel which are adapted to receive said locking tongue and latching tab elements so as to hold said panels in end closure position and said side wall and end wall forming panels having tear out portions disposed at the bottom of said end wall panels and adjacent the bottom wall forming panel for providing a roll out dispensing opening in the one end wall with a hinged article retarding flap at the bottom of said end wall which depends across a portion of said opening and normally obstructs the roll out of articles while permitting ready manual removal of successive articles.
 2. A package as set forth in claim 1 wherein said top wall forming panels have elongate hand hole openings in overlapped portions thereof which openings extend lengthwise of said panels and are aligned and spaced relative to the side marginal edges of said panels so that there is a double thickness of material at the oppositely disposed corners of the openings which reinforces the same against tearing when the package is carried.
 3. A package as set forth in claim 1 wherein said side wall panels and associated end wall panels have tear out portions which co-operate to provide a dispensing opening which exposes opposite ends of an article positioned at the opening so as to enable the article to be grasped and pulled through the opening.
 4. A package as set forth in claim 3 wherein said end wall panels are scored on upwardly bowed lines extending between top portion of the tear out areas at the sides thereof so as to stiffen the article holding flap which results when the tear out areas are removed to provide said dispensing opening.
 5. A generally rectangular blank of foldable sheet material adapted to form a carrier carton for a plurality of tiered articles having the general form of beverage cans which blank is divided by longitudinally spaced, transverse score lines and transversely spaced, parallel, longitudinal score lines into a series of connected wall forming panels, a middle one of said panels constituting a carton bottom wall forming panel, the two adjoining panels constituting carton side wall forming panels which are adapted to lie along the top and bottom faces of the articles when said articles are enclosed in the carton, and end panels constituting co-operating top wall forming panels, each said side wall forming panel having a pair of panels extending laterally of the blank along opposite sides thereof and separated therefrom by said longitudinal score lines, which laterally extending panels constitute end wall closure forming panels, said middle panel and said blank end panels having a dimension transversely of the blank which is less than the corresponding dimension of the adjoining side wall forming panels so as to leave opposite edges along the sides of the blank set in relative to the corresponding edges of the adjoining side wall forming panels, said blank end panels having a dimension longitudinally of the blank which is substantially greater than one half the corresponding dimension of the middle panel and each said blank end panel having a pair of hand holes cut therein which are spaced apart and also have transversely extending edges which are spaced inwardly of the blank end edges, said hand holes in each end panel being disposed so as to align with the hand holes in the co-operating end panel when these panels are overlapped to form the top wall of the carton, and said laterally extending end wall closure forming panels each having a dimension laterally of the blank which is substantially greater than one half the dimension of said middle panel in the longitudinal direCtion of the blank, the one panel of each pair of said end wall clusure forming panels having an outer marginal portion cut and scored to provide a locking panel with paired locking tongue elements and latching tab elements and the other panel of each pair of said end wall closure forming panels having an outer marginal portion cut to provide apertures dimensioned for receiving said locking tongue and latching tab elements in locking and latching engagement therein.
 6. A generally rectangular blank as set forth in claim 5 wherein said end wall forming panels are spaced along opposite sides of the blank and each said end wall forming panel having a dimension longitudinally of the blank which is less than the corresponding dimension of the side wall forming panel from which it extends so as to enable the blanks to be nested on either side when cut from a wide web.
 7. A package of articles having the general form of beverage cans which comprises a plurality of the articles assembled in multiple row, side-by-side arrangement and enclosed in a tubular carton formed from a single cut and scored blank of foldable sheet material which comprises a bottom wall forming panel, oppositely disposed side wall forming panels integrally hinged to the side edges of the bottom wall panel and lying along the top and bottom faces of the articles and a pair of co-operating top wall forming panels integrally hinged to the top edges of the side wall forming panels which have their margins overlapped and connected together, said side wall forming panels each having hingedly connected end wall closure panels at each end thereof which are swung to end wall forming position, the closure panels at each end having overlapping marginal portions with a hinged locking and panel including locking tongue elements and latching tab elements in one of said marginal portions and co-operating locking apertures in the marginal portion of the associated panel which receive said locking tongue and latching tab elements so as to hold said panels in end closure position, and said end wall forming panels terminating short of the adjacent ends of said top and bottom wall forming panels so as to provide openings at the top and bottom corners which expose portions of the articles in the corners of the package.
 8. A package as set forth in claim 7 wherein said end wall forming panels at one end of the carton and the adjacent side wall forming panels have tear out portions adjacent the bottom wall forming panel which are of a size to provide a roll out dispensing opening in said one end wall for removing the articles with a hinged flap depending from the bottom of said end wall and over a part of said opening so as to normally retain the articles while permitting ready manual removal thereof. 